About Me

As a child, I’d write on anything that could be written on—at least when my nose wasn’t poked between the pages of a book. So, there really was no other career choice for me than journalism.

Nineteen years into my career, I’ve seen some changes—and have seen some things stay the same.

I continue to write for the trade magazines and custom publications that have been my bread and butter since day one. From Supermarket News to Beverage World and Nutraceuticals World, I enjoy every story I write since it’s an opportunity to learn something new, yet build on the knowledge I already have.

I’ve also branched into consumer magazines, writing for Parents and Parents.com, DinnerTool.com, Petside.com and Northwest Palate.

Essays are an important facet to my work, produced them when inspiration strikes. They’ve been published in Parents, New York Press, The Toronto Star and Australia’s Courier-Mail.

I live on an island in the northern part of the Puget Sound in Washington State, where I’ve lived for five years, after a 10-year stint in New York City. The move here was propelled by marriage and the accompanying name change from Amanda Chater to Amanda Baltazar. The urge to be a full-time freelance journalist only precipitated the move.

I live with my husband and our toddler, whose curiosity about the world rivals my own.